Keep Dancing, Lizzie Chu
by Maisie Chan
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 9 to 13
Published by Piccadilly Press, 2022
About this book
Since the death of his wife, Lizzie's beloved wai gong, her grandad, has been acting strangely. He forgets Lizzie's birthday for one thing. So when Lizzie discovers that her grandma organised tickets to the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool as a present, Lizzie comes up with a plan to get Wai Gong there. Perhaps the memory of dancing there with her grandma will help him? But first, Lizzie will need the help of her friends Chi and Tyler - and a lot of luck!
Warmhearted and funny, this is a story about family love - and dressing up in fantastic costumes. Lizzie is a young carer and doesn't really realise it - she just gets on with taking care of her wai gong, who has dementia. Her grandparents brought her up - kinship care - and now she's looking after them. Maisie Chan's portrayal of a child having to deal with tough times is both sensitive and clear-eyed. By the end, Lizzie learns to ask for support, though her friends have been providing that all along, in their own ways. All that said, it's not a sad book. It's a slice of everyday life, with much humour along the way, and a Chinese goddess theme!
Highly recommended.
More books like this
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Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past
by Maisie Chan
9 to 14 years
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Danny Chung Does Not Do Maths
by Maisie Chan, illustrated by Anh Cao
9 to 14 years
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Maddy Yip’s Guide To Life
by Sue Cheung
5 to 14 years
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The Blockbusters!
by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, illustrated by Steven Lenton
9 to 14 years
Lists of recommended reads
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Books for fans of Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past
If you loved Maisie Chan’s Nate Yu’s Blast from the Past and are looking for similarly powerful stories, then these are the books for you! Here Maisie recommends some incredible books that fans of Nate’s story will enjoy.
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Books featuring young carers
Every young carer has their own story of resilience and strength, but they are often overlooked in life and in fiction. Here are a few of our favourite stories that feature young carers.
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Books with family and friends looking after children
It's important that books reflect contemporary society, and that children see a variety of family situations in the stories they read. Some families don't have a mum or dad in the carer or parental role. Sometimes grandparents or uncles or aunts are looking after the children. This can be called 'kinship care' or 'family and friends care'. This selection of fantastic books show children living with family members who aren't their parents, although that is usually only the background setting, not the plot.